Principal News 21/08/2026

Dear Banyan Fields Primary School Community,

We have had a wonderful first half of Term 3, with plenty happening across the school and lots more to look forward to! It has been fantastic to see our students settled back into their learning and enjoying the many opportunities on offer.

The second half of the term is shaping up to be just as busy and exciting. We have Book Week and our Book Parade, the Father’s Day Stall, Zooper Dooper Mondays and Footy Day still to come, along with lots of learning and other activities happening across the school.

Tenacity: We try, we learn, we never give up.

Attendance Arrive To Thrive:

We know how important regular attendance is for every student’s learning, wellbeing and connection to school. Every day at school provides valuable opportunities to learn, build friendships and be part of the classroom community. Even small improvements in attendance can make a big difference over time.

Equity: We include, we respect, we support.

Student Support Group Meetings

Thank you to the parents, carers, teachers and integration aides who supported our student support group meetings in Week 5. Each of the school improvement leaders attended a range of meetings to support the work being done and reflected on the strong sense of celebration and focus that was felt across the school. The goals set and strategies devised at the meetings help to ensure everybody gets what they need to succeed and are especially important at this time of the year as we start to consider the structure and supports for 2027.

Inclusion Hub

A parent of one of our students is working towards developing an inclusive early learning and Kindergarten project for young children who may have additional developmental or learning needs, not necessarily a disability or NDIS diagnosis.

The idea is to create a place where children can learn and develop with support from educators and, where needed, professionals such as Speech Pathologists, OTs and Physiotherapists, while families also feel supported and connected.

They have their first meeting with local authorities on 28 August to present the idea, and would really value your experience as a parent. The survey linked below will take approximately 2-3 minutes to complete. It would also be a huge help if you could share it with other families and friends to help build support for this project and show that there is a real need in our community.

Survey: https://forms.gle/xZZJihirSFUcaR8J8

Synergy: We listen, we learn, we grow together.

Industrial Action

As published on Compass earlier this week, Australian Education Union members have accepted an offer by the Department of Education, ceasing all active and planned industrial action. The next step is for all employees to vote on the offer.

PLC

At Banyan Fields Primary School, we continue to build students’ spelling knowledge by exploring how letters work together in words. Understanding spelling patterns helps students become more confident readers and writers.

This Week’s Focus: The 1-1-1 Doubling Rule

This week, students are learning about the 1-1-1 Doubling Rule.

The 1-1-1 rule helps students know when to double the final consonant before adding a vowel suffix, such as -ing, -ed, -er or -est.

We double the final consonant when the base word has:

One syllable
One short vowel
Ends in one consonant

Double the final consonant before adding the vowel suffix

For example:

run → running

hop → hopping

sit → sitting

big → bigger

hot → hottest

A helpful way to remember it is:

1 syllable + 1 short vowel + 1 final consonant = DOUBLE!

This rule helps students understand why we double the final letter in words such as running and hopping, supporting accurate spelling in their reading and writing.

How Families Can Support at Home

Ask your child:

“What does the 1-1-1 rule mean?”

“Does this word have one syllable?”

“Can you hear one short vowel?”

“Does it end in one consonant?”

“Do we need to double the final consonant?”

Try this together:

Say a base word such as run, hop, sit, big or hot. Ask your child to check the three 1s, then add a vowel suffix.

For example:

hop + ing → hopping

big + er → bigger

hot + est → hottest

Spot It While Reading

While reading together, look for words with doubled consonants before endings such as -ing, -ed, -er and -est. See if your child can identify the base word and check whether it follows the 1-1-1 rule.

By learning spelling patterns like the 1-1-1 Doubling Rule, students continue to strengthen their reading and writing skills while building confidence and independence as learners.

School Uniform

A reminder to families that students are expected to wear the Banyan Fields Primary School uniform each day. Wearing our school uniform helps create a sense of belonging and pride in our school community.

We understand that there may occasionally be circumstances where students are unable to wear the correct uniform. If your family is experiencing difficulty accessing uniform items, please contact the school. We have a limited supply of uniform items available and are happy to support families where we can.

Students are expected to wear full school uniform every day.
Students may wear a plain green polo shirt – the official school logo on the polo is optional.
Uniform bottoms should be plain bottle green and may include shorts, skorts, track pants, fitted pants or trousers.
Year 6 tops and House tops are approved uniform items.
Students should wear runners or black school shoes. Canvas shoes, boots, fashion shoes, thongs and open-toed or open-backed shoes are not permitted.
School hats must be worn outside from mid-August to 30 April. Hats, beanies and hoods are not to be worn inside.
Make-up and nail polish must be neutral tones only. Nails must not interfere with a student's ability to safely and fully participate in school activities.
Uniform items should be clean, in good repair and clearly named.

If a Student Is Out of Uniform

Staff will privately remind students who are out of uniform and check if there is a reason.
For ongoing uniform concerns, families will be contacted so we can work together to support the student.
If there are sensory, health or other needs, families are encouraged to contact the school to discuss appropriate support.
Families needing financial or uniform support can contact the school office. Second-hand uniform items are available.
If concerns continue, school leadership may contact the family to discuss next steps.

2027

The school improvement team have begun planning for 2027. Our current focus areas include:

School calendar: We will have a draft list of dates for 2027 to you very soon
Workforce planning: We have begun our recruitment processes based on the number of students we expect to have enrolled in 2027. If you have a child who is due to start Foundation next year, please ensure you have submitted your enrolment online and accepted the offer

Book Week – Symphony of Stories

Next week we are excited to celebrate Book Week 2026 – Symphony of Stories! Students will take part in a range of fun activities throughout the week, celebrating books, reading and creativity.

Activities include a poetry competition, bookmark competition, Match the Teacher to Their Favourite Book, Buddy Book Reading and Cosy Up to a Book Day.

A highlight of the week will be our Book Week Parade on Wednesday at 9:00 am in the gym. Students are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite book character, and families are very welcome to join us for the parade.

Stewardship: We care for people, places, and possibilities.

Bullying No Way

This week, our students have been taking part in activities each day as part of Bullying No Way Week. These activities have focused on building respectful relationships, showing kindness and helping students understand what they can do if they experience or witness bullying.

We encourage families to continue these conversations at home by talking with children about kindness, inclusion and speaking up when something doesn’t feel right.

Zooper Dooper Fundraiser

Our Grade 6 Zooper Dooper Fundraiser is back! Students can enjoy a Zooper Dooper each Monday while helping to raise funds for our Grade 6 Graduation.

Families can order through the Compass Shop with the following options:

$10 – every Monday across the 10 weeks

$4 – Term 3 (4 Mondays)

$6 – Term 4 (6 Mondays)

Term 3 Zooper Doopers begin on Monday 24 August. Orders for the full 10 weeks or Term 3 close on Friday 21 August.

Footy Day

Get ready for Footy Day on Friday 18 September! Students are encouraged to come dressed in the colours of their favourite AFL, Soccer or NRL team and join in the fun.

Our wonderful Parent Association will also be running a sausage sizzle lunch. Families can order through the Compass Shop:

$5 – 1 sausage and a drink

$7.50 – 2 sausages and a drink

Orders close on Friday 11 September.

School Crossing Safety Reminder

We would like to remind all families about the importance of using the designated school crossings when arriving at and leaving school each day.

Drop-off and pick-up times are particularly busy around our school, with increased traffic, parked cars, buses, pedestrians and students travelling to and from school. Using the designated crossings provides a safer and more visible place for children and families to cross the road.

We ask families to please:

Use the designated school crossings rather than crossing between parked cars or at other points along the road.
Encourage children to stop, look, listen and think before crossing.
Follow the directions of school crossing supervisors and wait until it is safe to cross.
Hold younger children’s hands when crossing busy roads.
Take extra care when driving around the school and remain alert for children and pedestrians.
Model safe road-crossing behaviour for our students.

Even when it may be quicker to cross elsewhere, taking the extra time to use the designated crossing helps keep everyone safe and reinforces important road-safety habits for our students.

Road Safety

We have received numerous reports of parents parking in dangerous and illegal ways during drop-off and pick-up. In particular, parking on the corner by Gate B (by the Foundation building) is causing a lot of concern for staff, parents and carers. We have also received a complaint from a neighbour whose driveway is frequently blocked by parents and carers collecting students from Banyan Fields.

Please keep our students safe by parking in allocated parking spots only.

We appreciate your support as we all work together to model appropriate behaviours for the students.

School Council

We would like to welcome Jack Gardner to our School Council. Jack has a son in our Foundation cohort and has been co-opted onto School Council to replace a seat left by a member who stepped down at the end of last term.

We have also opened an Expression of Interest process for a uniform supplier as our contract with Uniform Shop (formerly PSW) will expire this year. If you would like to join our working party, please contact the school office. Otherwise, we’ll keep you posted.

Patrick Halpin - Principal

Jennifer Churcher - Assistant Principal

Sharleen Nason - Assistant Principal

TheirCare